The Flood of 2002
On March the 16th heavy rain began and
thunderstroms pounded Southwest Virginia.
In Russell County, at least 2 homes were destroyed according to
local authorities.
In Wise county, numerous areas were subject to severe flooding.
The community of Riverview was one of the hardest hit. There
numerous homes were flooded and local authorities worked through
the night to rescue residents.
Virginia Governor Mark Warner declared a state of emergency in
Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Washington, Dickenson, and Wise
Counties including the city of Norton.
The Virginia State Police had to rescue two
teenagers in Washington County with a helicopter.
This is just a sample of the disaster, the
following pages show pictures of the flood water.
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Click here to see pictures of the flood > |
PICTURES |
© All pictures copyright 2002, Mike Hale
All Rights Reserved
Transmission to goverment or insurance officials is freely
allowed and strongly encouraged.
We need to be heard, Flooding is a major problem in Southwest
Virginia, we need help!
National
Weather Service flood statement with river crests.
RIVER FLOOD STATEMENT...CORRECTED TO MENTION CRESTING
STAGES
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
635 AM EST TUE MAR 19 2002
THIS PRODUCT INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING RIVERS: CLINCH
RIVER...NORTH
FORK OF THE HOLSTON RIVER...POWELL RIVER...SEQUATCHIE
RIVER.
FOR THE CLINCH RIVER AT CLEVELAND VA...MODERATE FLOODING
IS
OCCURRING WITH A STAGE OF 21.8 FEET MEASURED AT MIDNIGHT
THIS
MORNING. THE RIVER HAS CRESTED AND WILL FALL BELOW THE
FLOOD STAGE
OF 14.0 FEET AROUND 3 PM TODAY. AT 21.0 FEET... THE WATER
TREATMENT
PLANT AND SEVERAL HOUSES ARE FLOODED...ALONG WITH ABOUT
100 ACRES IN
THE AREA AROUND CLEVELAND. THIS CREST COMPARES TO A
PREVIOUS CREST
OF 19.5 FEET ON MAY 7 1984.
FOR THE CLINCH RIVER NEAR SPEERS FERRY VA...THE LATEST
STAGE IS 31.4
FEET AT 2 AM THIS MORNING. THE RIVER HAS CRESTED AND WILL
FALL BELOW
THE FLOOD STAGE OF 18 FEET AROUND 9 PM ON WEDNESDAY. AT
28.0 FEET...
SEVERAL HOMES ARE FLOODED.
FOR THE CLINCH RIVER ABOVE TAZEWELL TN...MODERATE
FLOODING IS
OCCURRING WITH A STAGE OF 20.3 FEET MEASURED AT MIDNIGHT
THIS
MORNING. MAJOR FLOODING IS FORECAST WITH A MAXIMUM STAGE
OF 23.0
FEET AROUND 9 AM TODAY. THIS IS 11.0 FEET ABOVE FLOOD
STAGE. THE
STAGE WILL FALL BELOW THE FLOOD STAGE OF 12.0 FEET AROUND
10 AM ON
THURSDAY. AT 21.0 FEET...BACKWATER MOVING UPSTREAM BEGINS
TO AFFECT
THE TOWN OF SNEEDVILLE, TENNESSEE.
FOR THE NORTH FORK OF THE HOLSTON RIVER NEAR GATE CITY
VA...MAJOR
FLOODING IS OCCURRING WITH A STAGE OF 18.9 FEET MEASURED
AT 4 AM
THIS MORNING. THE RIVER HAS CRESTED AND WILL FALL BELOW
ITS FLOOD
STAGE OF 12.0 FEET AROUND 6 PM TODAY. AT 18.0
FEET...SEVERAL HOMES
ARE FLOODED AND 20 TO 30 ACRES ARE INUNDATED. THIS CREST
COMPARES TO
A PREVIOUS CREST OF 19.8 FEET ON APR 5 1977.
FOR THE POWELL RIVER NEAR ARTHUR TN...MINOR FLOODING IS
OCCURRING
WITH A STAGE OF 21.4 FEET MEASURED AT MIDNIGHT THIS
MORNING. MAJOR
FLOODING IS FORECAST... WITH A MAXIMUM STAGE OF 30.0 FEET
AROUND 4
PM TODAY. THIS IS 13.0 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOD STAGE OF 17.0
FEET. THE
RIVER WILL FALL BELOW THIS FLOOD STAGE AROUND 7 PM ON
WEDNESDAY.
FOR THE POWELL RIVER AT JONESVILLE VA...MINOR FLOODING IS
OCCURRING
WITH A STAGE OF 27.5 FEET MEASURED AT MIDNIGHT THIS
MORNING. THE
RIVER HAS CRESTED AND WILL FALL BELOW THE FLOOD STAGE OF
18.O FEET
AROUND 6 PM TODAY. THIS CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS
CREST OF 26.6
FEET ON FEB 11 1994.
FOR THE SEQUATCHIE RIVER NEAR WHITWELL TN...MINOR
FLOODING IS OCCURRING WITH
A STAGE OF 16.2 FEET MEASURED AT MIDNIGHT THIS MORNING.
MINOR FLOODING IS
FORECAST WITH A MAXIMUM STAGE OF 16.5 FEET AROUND 7 AM
THIS MORNING...WHICH IS
2.5 FEET ABOVE THE FLOOD STAGE OF 14.0 FEET. THE RIVER
WILL FALL BELOW FLOOD
STAGE AROUND 9 PM ON WEDNESDAY. AT 16.0 FEET...FLOODING
OF AGRICULTURAL LAND
BECOMES MORE EXTENSIVE. WATER REACHES THE BOTTOM OF THE
RIVER GAGE HOUSE. THIS
CREST COMPARES TO A PREVIOUS CREST OF 15.0 FEET ON JAN 10
1998.
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